The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) reached a milestone on the State Route 8 bridge replacement project in Akron yesterday. Crews began erecting the new bridge with a bridge launching method.
This project is the first time a bridge has been launched on an ODOT project. Bridge launching is building the bridge in sections on the ground and rolling each section from one pier to the next into its final position.
Yesterday, the first section of the bridge was launched and took approximately six hours to reach its final placement. Each section is being pushed from pier to pier using rollers and hydraulic jacks.
The next section is expected to be launched in mid-August.
The southbound section of the project has a total of six launches, and the last one is expected in January 2025.
Once work is completed on the southbound bridge, traffic will be shifted, and work will begin on the northbound section in 2026.
The current bridge was built in 1953 and sees over 114,000 vehicles per day. At this point in the bridge’s lifecycle, it is more cost effective to replace the bridge rather than keep up the maintenance of it.
The project has a price tag of $158 million. It began in August 2023 and is expected to be completed in 2028.
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Source: ODOT
